Yesterday, as part of the 2014 appropriations process, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies marked up a bill with significant investments in early childhood programs.

The Subcommittee approved:

A $1.6 billion increase for Head Start, including $1.4 billion for Early Head Start-Child Care partnerships that were proposed in the President's Early Learning plan and a $171 million increase for existing Head Start programs, which would provide a cost of living increase for existing programs and support the costs of re-competition, also known as the Designation Renewal System.

A $176 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which includes $110 million for new quality improvement grants that will be available to every state

$750 million for new preschool development grants, also included in the President's budget proposal, which will help strengthen the early education systems of states that are not currently ready to provide preschool to all 4-year-olds

$125 million increase for Title I grants to local education agencies

$21 million increase for IDEA Part C for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families

The Senate's strong support for child care and early education is an exciting development along the path to implementing the President's 2014 budget proposal -- but it is just a part of a long appropriations process. The full Senate Appropriations committee will have to approve the bill and the House will begin its own appropriations process, which is less likely to result in investments as significant for child care and early education.